As university students face increasingly fierce competition in the job market, a vocational school's curriculum reforms have recently provoked widespread controversy. Yiwu Industrial and Commercial College, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, has opened a "taobao class."

The three-year course guides students through the process of launching businesses on taobao.com, a popular e-commerce site in China, starting from registering a store and designing an online storefront to taking photos of their products to attract customers online. Students are allowed to take online orders in class and can substitute the performance of their online business for academic credits. Depending on the trustworthiness and business performance of their online stores, students can receive up to 12 credits excusing them from six compulsory courses.

The program's first class graduated in June 2012. The school said nearly 30 graduates had an individual annual turnover of 500,000 yuan ($79,365). They earn much more than those graduated from regular universities.  

This business-oriented model of education has been met with both support and opposition. Supporters believe that giving students the skills to make a living is the primary mission of education. Opponents see so-called business-oriented education as short-sighted and utilitarian.

Pro 

Yu Minghui   

China Youth Daily   

Training technical professionals should be the primary focus of vocational and technical schools. This requires that classes teach useful and practical curricula. Higher vocational education emphasizes on both knowledge and skills. Graduates are expected to be capable of doing certain technical jobs as soon as they are out of school. In terms of teaching philosophy, program design and specific teaching methodology, Yiwu Industrial and Commercial College is doing the right thing. The institution is fostering capable entrepreneurs urgently needed by society. Therefore, this "taobao class" deserves support and encouragement.

Recent university graduates found that they lack practical skills. They have difficulty finding jobs or, if they do find work, receive low pay. These problems are rooted in our rigid education system, which places a high value on academic achievement, thus failing to meet the needs of specific enterprises and of the social development. This has led to a situation where graduation means either unemployment or seeking out skill training.

I think that the "taobao class" model complements the current higher education system with its reform of teaching methods. It not only helps students solve their own financial problems while they study, but also enables them to be in contact with society and learn how to do business when they are still students. The fact that other schools are now following suit also shows that entrepreneur-oriented education is worth trying.

Con

Ran Yu

West China City News  

The true meaning of entrepreneur-oriented education is that students are able to become a successful entrepreneur through their studies. This will help them deal with problems they may encounter in the future, regardless of their field of work.

But is owning an online shop a life-long career? I don't think so. The weakness of the so-called "taobao class" style of education is obvious. Being successful relies too heavily on doing business via taobao.com, where operation qualifications are lenient, but potential risks are relatively high as the future of e-commerce is still unclear. I would conclude that this class reflects shortsighted speculation rather than courage and ability to succeed. It over-simplifies starting up a business and gambles with people's education, making students the ultimate losers in all of this.

I don't think graduates of this "taobao class" are capable of using their online vendor skills to become real entrepreneurs in the future. Their education is centered on running an online store. Maybe they will be excellent vendors, but they can never become entrepreneurs, as running a business requires systematic knowledge, not just simple hands-on operations. In one word, offering such education is short-sighted and irresponsible.